


Anything but Zombies

by missameliep



Series: Second Chances [2]
Category: Choices: Desire & Decorum, Desire & Decorum (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Halloween Costumes, choices october challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 17:28:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21285437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missameliep/pseuds/missameliep
Summary: Halloween is coming and some of them are just too excited to study and not talk about ideas for costumes.
Relationships: Hamid/Main Character (Desire & Decorum), hamid x elizabeth
Series: Second Chances [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1465849
Kudos: 1





	Anything but Zombies

**Author's Note:**

> * This is my submission to the Choices October Challenge – The Prompt: October 28 - Halloween/Costume.  
* English is not my first language.  
* All characters belong to Pixelberry.  
* This belongs to the same Modern Days AU of Second Chances.

Eleven days until Halloween and the weather has changed significantly since Elizabeth's arrival in London. Temperatures have decreased – outside was 9°C according to the app on her mobile – and the sun has become a timid companion. Several days in a row without gracing its presence.

Once again, the day is cloudy, cold and grey. However, she barely acknowledged this fact as she greeted each warm and friendly face this afternoon.

Arm linked with Briar’s, she led the three of them to the library of the townhouse.

“Ooh! I’m so excited! Are you excited with Halloween, Lizzy? I can’t believe it will be your first one here! Do you have Halloween in Brazil? I know we'll have so much fun!” Briar talked with increasing enthusiasm, barely waiting for her friend to answer her questions.

Elizabeth opened the doors to the immense and bright room with its ancient furniture. Inside, Hamid sporting casual clothes and a wide smile already waited for them.

“Thanks for inviting us to study here, Liz.” Luke said putting his arm around Elizabeth’s shoulder and pulling her closer. “My roommate is driving me crazy and I really need a quiet place to study.”

“Anytime, Luke. We like you too much to let you go insane.”

They smiled at each other and, letting go of her, he placed his backpack over the large table in the library. Book, notepad and notebook joining the ones Hamid and Elizabeth had already placed there. The pair’s laptops positioned one next to the other.

Briar comfortably sat in an armchair near the coffee table, shoeless feet resting over the green ottoman and a large book was pulled from the messenger bag lying on the floor. Annabelle picked an armchair closer to the windows and quickly concentrated in her own readings.

Instead of sitting at the chosen place, Hamid was browsing the numerous tomes displayed in one of the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

“If you’re looking for a particular book, maybe I can help you,” Elizabeth said softly, standing beside him.

“I’m just admiring the collection. I can’t resist… There are some really interesting books.”

“Nerd,” she teased and bumped her shoulder against him, and he smiled back at her and observed when the girl walked straight to the table. One last glance at him when she sat down.

Hamid followed her and took the seat by her side. Whenever he turned a page from his book, he’d take the opportunity to steal a glance at her. The girl timidly reciprocated and Luke, across from them and focused on his readings, paid no attention to any of these interactions.

Forty-five minutes later, the quietness of the room was first disturbed by Briar’s hushed questions to Annabelle after she moved to an ottoman closer to her. Moments later, her normal tone reached the ears of the ones at the table.

“You must wear a costume, Ann! We're all wearing one...”

“I don't see the point.”

“It’s fun!”

“It’s a poor excuse to oversexualize women... We never see a parade of sexy male doctors during Halloween. Or any other occasion, really.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” Briar mused.

“And I thought we were actually gonna study...” Luke snorted, and Hamid flashed a sympathetic smile, before his pen slid over his notebook once more.

“We could go as the Spice Girls! It would be so much fun!” Briar spoke with enthusiasm.

“There’s only three of us!” Annabelle pointed out.

“Actually...” Briar's eyes moved to the table where the guys were sitting with Elizabeth.

“Not gonna happen, dude!” Luke said without raising his eyes from the book and before she could speak anything else.

“Please...” Briar batted her lashes at their direction and held Hamid’s gaze.

“I’m not doing it either,” Hamid said shaking his head.

“You'd make such a cute Sporty Spice,” the girl said with a smile and playfully winked at Hamid.

“I'm not doing this again!” Hamid crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Every pair of eyes were drawn to him.

“What? I have four older sisters. Don't look so surprised that they would dress me up...”

Luke didn’t hold his laughter.

“Sorry, man! It just took us by surprise.”

“Were you really Sporty Spice?” Briar gaped.

“I’m not saying anything else.” he fidget with his pen and focused on the book in front of him, ignoring the stares.

“Which one, Hamid?” Briar hopped and slumped on the chair beside him. Chin propped in her hands and eyes fixed in his face. “I need to know which one!”

“I’m not telling you.”

“I bet there are photos!” Annabelle smirked and casted a glance at his annoyed face.

“There are none,” he said dryly.

“Elizabeth, are there photographs?” Briar leaned further on the table and looked at her friend.

“How would I know? I just found out about this...” Elizabeth bit her lip and observed Hamid and his displeased face. His smile had faded, and he pretended to read the book.

“How old were you?” Briar asked and he remained silent.

“Text his sister, Lizzy!” Briar suggested.

“What? Which sister?” Hamid’s eyes darted to the girl at his side.

“A-ha! I knew it! Look at him!” Briar clapped her hands and pointed at him. “Obviously there are pictures!”

“I’m just surprised Liz and one of my sisters might be texting...”

“Sorry, Liz! Was that a secret?” Briar clasped her hand over her mouth.

“Not anymore...” Elizabeth muttered.

“Is it true, Liz?” he asked with a puzzled look, “With whom do you talk? How did this happened?”

A mischievous smile was the only answer he got from her.

“Is it Faiza?” he asked and she stifled a giggle, amused with his concern.

“My lips are sealed.”

One of her hands snaked its way to his forearm. And the corners of his lips twitched before pulling up.

“Have you found out about the pictures, Lizzy?” Briar inquired getting closer to Hamid's chair. “I want to see them too!”

“Alright. We had our laugh at Hamid’s expense... But could we now maybe not bully our friend and move on to another idea for the group costume?” Elizabeth suggested to Briar.

“Or even better, could we all go back to study?” Annabelle said from where she was sitting.

“I second that.” Luke raised his hand in support, eyes unwavering from his notes.

“Absolutely not!”

“Please, Briar,” Elizabeth said flashing the puppy eyes she learned from Annabelle.

“Just for now,” Briar acquiesced, “But I’ll find these pictures, Hamid.”

Walking away, she slumped into the same armchair and picked her mobile from her purse.

“Thanks, Liz!” Hamid whispered and his left hand enveloped the one of hers still on his forearm.

“You’re so gonna show me the picture later,” she whispered.

“No!”

“You owe me, mate!”

“Not a chance!”

“Are you sure about that, Hamid? Should I text Nesrin? I bet she’d send me tons of embarrassing pictures.”

“You’re evil. I thought you liked me...”

“I do. I just want to see it...”

“To mock me too?”

“Maybe I just want to see how cute you looked...”

“Believe me. I can confirm I’m cute all the time.”

“I want to see for myself.”

“How do I know you’re not bluffing?” he leaned closer, holding her gaze. “Maybe you’re not talking to my sister at all…”

“Maybe I’m talking to more than one of your sisters. Maybe childhood pictures of you have already been sent to me...”

“I don’t believe you, Liz,” he whispered and inched closer. Her breath hitched as they stared at each other, unable to conceal their playful smiles.

Briar’s voice ringed and it took a moment for their gazes to move from the other’s face and find her standing in the middle of the room.

“Since Spice Girls is also out, what about the Christmas’ dresses from Mean Girls? Aren’t they lovely?” She showed a picture of the red outfits on the mobile’s screen.

Annabelle simply shook her head.

“But why, Ann? Aren’t you even giving me a reason anymore?”

“It's a no from me too... Too revealing. And I’d probably freeze to death. I need layers,” Elizabeth said and pulled the yellow cardigan tighter around herself as if anticipating the freezing night of the party.

“Okay. I’m starting to worry about you,” Hamid said softly, looking her closely, “If you’re already cold, I don’t think you’ll survive the winter.”

“I’ll just have to figure out how to keep myself warm,” she said.

“Hmmm...” His arm went to the back of her chair, he leaned closer and spoke in a suggestive tone, “I can help you with a few ideas. Hot chocolate, warm blankets, a fireplace...”

She lowered her eyes to her notes and her cheeks warmed with the rush of blood.

“Or you can buy a doudone... But that’s the dullest option, if you ask me.”

“What about Disney Princesses?” Briar asked.

“Let me think...” Annabelle raised her eyes from the pad. “No.”

“Oh, come on now! Picture how dashing those mates would be as princes!”

Luke huffed and Elizabeth giggled at his reaction.

“And Lizzy would be a fab Merida. Can you imagine that curls in a vivid red? I can dye them for you!”

“Okay. I love Merida. But I don’t want to change my hair colour.” Her fingers twisted one lock of the brown curls with shades of gold and she stared at it. Her mind drifting to a disastrous experience dying her hair.

“It’d be temporary.”

“Could we possibly rule out first all the other costumes that don’t require me to dye my hair?”

“Okay. Okay.” Briar said and turned around to speak to Annabelle and Elizabeth caught Hamid staring at her.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing.” He smiled to himself.

“You’re totally picturing it, aren’t you?”

“You’d be a cute ginger.” He winked.

Briar’s voice raising again, drew the stares from the three sitting at the table.

“But Ann you could wear just the dress and not the oppressive tradition!”

“It’s indissociable… But maybe I could be willing to wear a costume if it was fun and didn’t reinforce this idea that we’re there to appease men’s expectations –”

Briar squealed and hugged her.

“I said maybe.”

“We’ll find something perfect! People, ideas! You guys can’t keep ruling out all my amazing ideas without making any suggestions of your own.”

Elizabeth tapped the tip of her pen on the notebook a few times, catching Luke’s attention, before she spoke again.

“What about famous women from History? Maybe scientists?”

“I'm starting to like those options,” Annabelle pondered for a moment, “But what we would wear exactly?”

“I don’t know.” Elizabeth lowered her eyes and mulled for a moment. “Did Marie Curie wear any sort of lab coat?”

“I have no idea,” Annabelle replied, “let me google her.”

“Costumes that need to be researched and certainly explained are not fun...”

“Maybe people should read more,” said Annabelle.

“I second that,” said Luke, “In fact, I think the people in this room should be reading more now. In silence.”

Ignoring the guy’s words, Briar walked closer to the table with a smile.

“Since you don’t want to dye your hair, Lizzy, you could go as an odalisque. Look at this adorable costume online! And Hamid could be a Sultan or a Prince! It’d be lovely!”

Hamid raised an eyebrow and shared a concerned look with Elizabeth.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea...” Hamid said hesitantly.

“Why?”

Annabelle sighed and raised her hands.

“Darling, forget about the image that popped in your head. Odalisques are nothing as portrayed in Western art. First, they were chambermaids. Second, the representation is highly inaccurate and carries too much prejudice and sexualizes them. And third and most relevant, this imagery hides the fact these were women submitted to slavery and all sorts of violence.”

“What? That's horrible!” Briar said covering her mouth.

“As I said, a costume is not just a costume...”

Briar's head jerked at Elizabeth's direction, “Did you know that?” Elizabeth nodded. “No dressing up as an odalisque for you, missy!”

“I was never going to.”

“Good!” she added, “I’m running out of ideas.”

“What about zombies? It could work,” Hamid suggested.

“We should all dress as zombies!” Luke endorsed the idea with enthusiasm, and his eyes left the book for the second time since the conversation started.

“Zombies aren’t fun or sexy,” Briar scoffed.

“Of course they're fun! I want to be a zombie too,” Elizabeth said, and Luke offered his hand for a high-five. Briar frowned upon the smiling trio as Hamid and Luke discussed ideas for the right scary look and Elizabeth laughed.

“The boys are ruining this for me, Ann! Could you please, back me up here!” she pleaded to the other girl, who’s chosen not to take part in the debate.

“Well, if everyone else is going as zombies, maybe we should too, darling...” Annabelle said softly as she continued to scribble something down her pad. Briar glared at her, as if joining the chorus for the zombie costume was taken as a personal offense.

“Nope! I don’t think so! That’s a terrible idea. You'll ruin our group pictures. I don't approve of that. What if the three of us –"

“Don't say sexy vampires or sexy anything, please” Annabelle cut her off.

“That's nonsense, Ann! Why would I say that? Vampires are always sexy. Everyone knows that.”

Annabelle rolled her eyes and the group decided on a break from the subject.

Tongues remained silent for long minutes. Soon an hour went by. In the room, nothing but the sound of pages turning, pens scratching paper and the click-click-click of Hamid’s fingers pressing the keys on his notebook.

“Since we can’t find the perfect group costume. I give up... You all can choose by yourselves and submit it to my approval,” Briar said admitting defeat.

“Can we pick anything?” Elizabeth asked.

“Anything but zombies,” Briar warned, “Werewolves, mummies and any kind of costume that requires any of you to look ugly is also forbidden.”

“But it’s Halloween. Costumes should be scary. It’s the whole premise.” Luke’s words earned a glare from Briar.

Elizabeth observed Hamid and Luke, while the men talked.

“Superheroes are cool,” Luke pointed out.

“Marvel or DC?” Hamid asked.

“Both,” Luke replied with a grin. “By the way, Annabelle, you’d be a perfect Wonder Woman.”

“Me?” she raised her eyebrows.

“Sure. You're tall and you look like you could kick anybody's ass in most rooms...”

“That could actually be fun. Your suggestion will be taken under consideration, sir.”

“And what about you, Luke?” Annabelle asked, “Any ideas?”

“Since someone is spoiling our fun and we can’t go as zombies –"

“Are you going to cause me trouble, Harper? I won’t hesitate in cutting you from this group…” Briar’s voice cut him off.

“You’d never do that, Daly. You’d miss me too much,” he laughed and she feigned annoyance, but she couldn’t hide the small smirk on her lips.

“Anyway, I'm going as Kilmonger.”

“What is that?” Briar asked.

“Haven't you seen Black Panther, Briar?” The man asked baffled.

“No, I don't like superhero movies. They're unrealistic.”

Elizabeth waved at Briar, and she sat beside her to see the pictures on the screen of the laptop.

“But you like movies based on Nicholas Sparks' books and that's in no way –” Luke would go on if Elizabeth hadn’t shaken her head and soundless mouthed for him to let it go and spare himself of this endless debate.

“I have the jeans jacket, and I can order the wig online...” Luke told Hamid.

“You'll look perfect!” Elizabeth said with a smile.

“Is that the Kilmonger? Wow! I might be seeing this movie soon!” Briar exclaimed, “Oh! You could pull this look off.” Briar turned the screen and showed Luke a picture. “I don’t know what’s the deal with these blisters… But you’ll get every girl’s attention! I assure you!”

“It will be freezing then, Briar,” Luke said.

“Not inside the pub, it won't,” Briar replied with a grin and he shook his head slowly, hiding a smirk.

“It's bold of you to choose the villain,” Hamid said.

“He's not simply a villain. He's a deep and complex character. A man with an agenda, willing to pay the price for what he believes, and this turns him into a very interesting character.”

“Have you chosen yours, Briar?” Elizabeth asked her while Luke and Hamid discussed the movie.

“Since we're not doing this group costume, I’m not really certain... I’ve dressed up before as vampire and witch a few times. Last year, I went as a vampire again… I wanted something special this year,” she paused and mulled for a moment, “Perhaps a Holly Golightly costume. I can do the hair,” she said pulling her hair up and the bangs to the side, “And I have a similar black dress.”

“You'll look lovely,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“I know how very problematic this movie is, but I love when she sings Moon River,” Annabelle grinned.

“Me too.” Briar and Elizabeth said in unison.

“It was my mother’s favourite movie,” Elizabeth said with a wistful smile.

“Mine too! I’ve watched countless times growing up! I just love it!” Briar exclaimed.

“Congratulations! I believe you just chose your costume,” Annabelle pointed out beaming.

“What about you, Hamid? Any ideas?” Elizabeth questioned him.

“Don't say zombie,” Briar hissed.

“Hmmm... Perhaps I could go as 007.”

His answer drew shocked glances at him from Annabelle and Luke.

“I know the character is major political propaganda and intentionally misrepresents other nationalities in order to advertise British superiority, and many other issues I don’t need to tell you… But I do own the appropriate suit and tie. And I would look good in the group pictures.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Finally someone is giving me what I’ve asked for!” Briar hugged him from behind, one arm encircling Hamid’s neck and he laughed.

“You'll be wearing a suit. Like you do on a daily basis. That's it? That’s your costume?” Anabelle stared at him.

“Well, it would be black and nicer. And I'd have a glass of martini in my hand. But it'd be just water or soda, actually.”

“And a fake pistol,” Luke added.

“Hmmm… I’ll have to say no to this suggestion,” he frowned, “Non-white male displaying a gun in a crowded place doesn’t strike me as a sensible idea…”

“Sorry, man. I just forgot about the implications and –”

“Don’t apologize. It’s alright,” Hamid waved dismissively, and the smile returned to his face.

“Are you thinking of Pierce Brosnan’s 007?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yeah. I think I can pull the hair. What do you think?”

Elizabeth observed him and her fingers went to his hair and she pulled a lock down to his forehead.

“I think you can,” she said with a smile, and they gazed into the other’s eyes. “But I agree with Annabelle, that’s the laziest costume, Hamid.”

“I’m not taking part in any contest...” he shrugged, “Also, I’ll look awesome in the pictures.”

“What about you, Liz? Are you going as Merida?” Luke asked, and her eyes flicked from Hamid’s face to the other man’s direction.

“If I’m required to dye my hair than the answer is no.”

“You could try a wig. There’s a bunch online,” he said showing the screen of his phone.

“I’ll check it out. But I’m also considering another one. I went to a party once as Princess Leia and I did the hair and it was nice... Besides, I’m pretty sure I can wear pants and a light sweater beneath that white dress.”

Her words drew a soundless chuckle from Hamid.

Arthur Woods knocked on the door and, excusing himself, walked slowly inside the library with a silver tray in his hands. Shoes clicking on the wooden floor with each step, and eyes fixed on Briar’s.

She smiled as he arranged the sandwiches, muffins and beverages over the large coffee table in front of her.

“Everything looks delicious. Thank you, Arthur,” Elizabeth said, and the man acknowledged her words with a polite smile and a slight bow of his head.

“It really does look good!” Luke said grinning.

“Oh, what a shame! There’s not a single gluten free option here for Annabelle! And is this bacon? It looks like bacon.” She examined a muffin.

“The muffins are –” Arthur stopped talking as Briar raised her eyebrows at him, and he smiled to himself.

“And Hamid needs his vegan stuff... for some reason,” she muttered, “Arthur, they really need their snacks. Why don’t I help you bring something suitable for them? Maybe some carrots,” she said walking out of the room with him.

“Carrots? Am I a rabbit now?” Hamid muttered under his breath.

“That was odd. She never remembers it...” Annabelle raised her eyebrows and observed the pair walking out of the library together.

Elizabeth shrugged and not a word left her lips, even though she knew exactly what was going on.


End file.
